The journey from hell

One of my favourite films is Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), starring Steve Martin and John Candy. Steve Martin, an advertising executive, has to get back from New York to Chicago for thanksgiving. It rapidly turns into a journey from hell, shared by John Candy – a shower curtain salesman – who is forever cheerful and chatty. With every travail on the journey Martin’s irritation with his travelling companion grow to breaking point  till he finally understand that Candy has no home to return to and in the final scene goes back to the station waiting room to invite him to his family thanksgiving.

I had such a journey yesterday though my co-passenger was an affable chaplain on the cruise lines.

I took the Gatwick Express, this being the fastest method of travel from Victoria to Brighton … or so I thought.

The train stopped suddenly at Hassocks station with the announcement there had been a tragic incident, a body on the line.

We had to disembark. The replacement bus would take an hour to arrive.

I spoke to my co-passenger who, it transpired, lived 500 yards from me and so we agreed to take and share a taxi.

It’s an ill wind, as the saying goes….

The taxi driver took a route bus via Ditchling Beacon which, with its commanding views over the Downs, is one of the beauty spots of Sussex and all the more breathtaking for it being a clear autumnal day.

Colin, the padre’s name, was a sprightly 85 year old just returning from pastoral duties on board a Fred Olsen cruise to Canada. I had some business I wished to accomplish – now impossible – but we spent a pleasant half hour chatting with him and our Australian cricket-loving driver till we dropped Colin off and some 2 hours late  I finally got home.